What's in my CD player

We headed to Oregon yesterday. Pretty smooth drive, actually. Got to meet Todd and Sunkyu and Lia for Pieology Pizza, and then on to Salem. Staying at the lovely La Quinta, sharing a parking lot with Costco. Try and I waited in the car while Eric checked us in. We asked how it looked in there. He said, "normal, except for the people" us, "????" Eric, "they all look like they're from Puyallup".

Yeah, and the walls are paper thin. Eric decided he's on his own vacation program, so he headed off to a late movie while I tried to stay awake and help Taylor with homework. As we were trying fall asleep about 11:15, we could hear the guy on one side of us snoring and the people on the other side talking. Nice.

We needed to be downstairs at 8:15, so Taylor set her alarm for 7:30 and I set mine for 7:45 as a backup.

Eric rolled in at just after midnight, luckily Tay slept through but o course I was wide awake then, after a good half hour nap. He was all concerned about setting an alarm (does he really think we're that irresponsible?!?!) I told him not to worry, we both had alarms set. But....OCD. Tossed and turned and finally got to sleep.

5 am Taylor must have choked on her spit so her coughing fit woke us up. And yep, you guessed it, I'd had a decent 4 hour sleep, that's good enough, right? Wide. Awake. I finally fell asleep, only to wake from a nightmare 10 minutes later. Barely 6:00. Tossed and turned and finally fell into a good sleep. I really could have used that extra hour....

But SOMEONE SET HIS ALARM FOR 7:00. And HE was able to hit he red tutor and fall into an immediate snoring slumber.

So we're heading to Disneyland. After the no good very bad trip to LA last month....when Taylor was laying in the ER feeling sad about missing out on Disneyland...Eric got on his phone and checked flights and hotels and we pulled the trigger. Thanksgiving was okay...no family time but we had a nice dinner at the Werner's, although Eric stayed home sick on the sofa. Christmas had some fun sucked out of it because I got sick 2 weeks before with the Cold From Hell which morphed into the sinus/ear/eye infection from someplace worse than Hell. Christmas Eve was the usual trip to Meke's - Todd and Sunkyu and Lia got in Christmas Eve Eve. We had a quiet Christmas morning at home, and then I fixed a turkey dinner for Mom and Dad and Todd and Sunkyu and Lia. The next day we went to brunch at Cathy's to visit Grandma....a quick "normal" catch up day and we're at the airport bright and early.

Except our flight is now delayed and hour and a half.... why is that sideways????

SSDD, I always say. Just more of the same. Still working too much, but not really that much (how did I ever work full time?!?!?) Softball still dictates so much of our time. Still in the grind of school for the kids. Still raining.

But. If I look closer...Work is a different kind of challenging lately - a lovely audit by the Washington State DOR. Now, that's a party, as Taylor would say. Creating some new quilting classes, hoping they fly. Taylor has grown about 3 inches in the last few months. She looks so good on the softball field. Sharper. Stronger. The grind of school, well, that doesn't change too much. Christian made the Dean's List again. Taylor got straight A's again. My smart kids. Rain? Yes, but I see my camelias blooming, and we're forecast into 60's over Easter. This is absolutely my favorite time of year, except for Christmas. Love that the trees are busting out all over with blossoms and leaves, tulips are coming up (although the rabbits....will take care of that situation), love the extra hours of daylight.

One bad thing. No Project Life this year, and I don't think I've taken 6 pictures in 2012. Lame.

So, I remember when my baby sister was born. Mom had to have a C-section, and it had to happen between Christmas and New Year's Day. There is some story about an infection and Mom having to stay in the hospital for extra days. I really missed my mom. Grandma came to stay with us on New Year's Eve,and I treasure the memory of sobbing into my Grandma's bosom, soooo missing my mama. Daddy took us to visit her, but we couldn't go inside....back in the day, before they built that fantasmic Birthing Center at Overlake, there was this side wing, one story and with easy access to the windows. So Daddy realized we were having mama withdrawal, and he took us to visit her. We climbed the hillside to Mom's window, and she probably suffered much pain to get out of bed and come to the window and hold her sobbing daughter's hand.

And now, 40 years later:Oh! Did I mention the fact that we are at my house again? Yeah....not a big deal, just the family joke. Everytime we think we are going out to dinner, we end up here. I guess it keeps my house clean!

Finally! A chance to spend Christmas Day at home. Not so relaxing, having 15 people for dinner, but still. The kids headed for Meme's for Christmas morning breakfast. And we cleaned and cleaned and prepped the house. Too much food, too much thought put into the process. I'm thinking.....if it happens again in the next few years....what about Chinese takeout? Ehhhh.....no. Prime rib may be spendy, but it is sooooo good!

Sadly, we lost my Auntie Carol just after Thanksgiving. She had pancreatic cancer....for 8+ years, which says so much. Amazing stories of her strength and spirit, and the fact that she was a walking miracle for many years, and the cancer was the contributor, but not really the cause of her death. Funerals are tough, but a chance to see loved ones we have missed for years sometimes.

We headed to the Tacoma Dome to cheer for Skyline as they won the state championship - Taylor wanted to spray her hair white, but I held out for the white "eyeblack"!

My sweet Uncle Darryl and Aunt Genie came from South Carolina for Auntie Carol's funeral, and decided to make some good memories, so they stayed for a few weeks, visiting around the area. And this is a typical view of what Mom's kitchen looks like with a gathering:

In the interest of using this blog as a way to settle arguments about where we spend our holidays (in 26 years of marriage, I do know that we've spent 3 Christmas Days at home, including 2011....but where we run around and who we visit? just a blur....), we did the 12 hour "make the rounds" day, once again. It's a mixed blessing, having plenty of relatives here. I have to confess, I feel a little bit jealous when I talk to people and they say they are spending the morning in pj's and having Chinese take-out for their holiday. Just a little jealous. Mixed blessing. Perfect description.

So we went to Melinda's for an early afternoon meal, and then to my sister's for an evening meal. Left home just before 11, and got home sometime after 10. Tired and full and happy to have had a chance to see everyone. And.....I left my camera at my sister's house, so my good intentions of blogging the next day were dashed.

....it helps me remember things. For scrapbooking. For happy things that have happened. For settling arguments when we can't remember what we did for certain holidays. Obviously I haven't been winning any arguments lately, though, since I have been failing miserably at blogging. Oh well, try, try again, and all that.

I decided to be a little kinder and gentler on myself recently, and it has paid off in a big way. I've lost some weight, don't feel as stressed, though I'm busier than ever, and am slowly feeling some joy where it was missing in my life. Weird how that can work. I taught a quilt class this week for the first time in years....7 years maybe?....and it was so fun. Exhausting, and when I did the breakdown, I probably made $10 an hour, but it's money I wouldn't have had otherwise, and it was a good brand of tired. Well earned and fulfilling. Reminds me of when I was clowning. Birthday parties were so exhausting. And I dreaded every minute, but then in the car on the way home, I so enjoyed the natural high I felt that I would be eager to get another gig.

I have a job interview Monday for another part time bookkeeping position. Sounds kind of too good to be true. I really hope it works out, and it's kind of cool how it fell in my lap at the perfect time. Like God knew somehow that my door was open and I needed this.

I am so excited for Christmas this year. Tonight on the way home, Taylor and I drove through a few neighborhoods and people were putting up their lights. I got all giddy and excited - came home and pulled out the Christmas cd's. Haven't played them yet, but they're ready for this Friday. When I won't be shopping, might I just add. Man, when I worked at Nordstrom I thought it was bad when we were open until midnight just a few days during the holiday season. And I think the earliest we ever opened was 7 a.m. Not that the mall is open all night (yet), but I am seeing some of the craziest hours ever. You couldn't pay me enough to do that. It's one thing, signing on as a nurse or working in some profession that dictates 24 hour service, but really? Retail? Bah! I would hate Christmas even more than I did when I worked retail. I was a real Grinch in those days. And I think it scarred me (well, obviously it did, since I still hate to shop at the mall) for a few years after I quit. Finally now I love, love, love it. Am so psyched for Shimelle's JYC to start. I think this might be the year I follow through - ha! First I have to tackle this mess:

My anxiety kicked in when I looked up the M hotel phone number to reserve a rollaway bed....and noticed the SIX SINGLE STAR REVIEWS!!!!! I didn't sleep for 2 nights before we left. And then Eric wasn't feeling well, so suddenly on Friday afternoon, it turned out I was driving myself and the kids over. Good news was it wasn't raining, and I'd most likely get over Snoqualmie Pass before it got too dark. Let's just say from Yakima to Richland, I set the cruise control and followed a speedy pickup truck, hanging on for dear life.

Not the best room, but I guess I've seen worse. Although it did smell like wet dog. And just before going to bed, I made the mistake of peeking beside the nightstand....at 6 months worth of crumbs and some lovely orthodonic elastics littering the floor. EEEEWWWW!!!!! I didn't sleep much that night. Or the next.

Christian said "okay, so they vacuum, just not in the corners, you have to stop being such a freak". I will say the bathroom was pretty clean....my Lysol wipe was just a little dirty from wiping up the floor. Nice shower. Hmmm....clean fridge....

And what is it with people walking around barefoot in hotels?!?!?!? Do they wash/scrub/antibacterialize their feet before getting into bed???? Wow. Just. Wow. Then again.....maybe I'm more germaphobic than I think I am. No, no, no, that can't be. Especially since this was a pet friendly place (oh joy! we should have brought the tortoise!). I just can't walk barefoot on doggie tracks. And stained carpet.

Am I a freak?

Taylor played well once she got over the first game/first inning jitters. I'll have to look up her stats. And phew!!! no real injuries this time. Just a few new bruises. We can deal with those. There were tears when she missed an out that let the other team win the game that knocked them out of the championship, but I told her it's an entire game, many calls, plays, errors, and funny hops. And they took a solid 3rd, winning 14~2, with a trophy to show for their work. Here is Taylor with Coach Tom: